Mummification Step by Step

Ancient Egyptians believed in an afterlife when someone died. Mummification helped someone reach the afterlife as they thought that, in order to have an afterlife, the dead person would have to repossess his or her body. Egyptians believed that the only way to do this was if the body was recognisable.

Head of richly decorated Egyptian mummy case

Mummification was mainly done to wealthy people as poorer people could not afford the process.

The chief embalmer was a priest wearing a mask of Anubis. Anubis was the jackal headed god of the dead. He was closely associated with mummification and embalming, hence priests wore a mask of Anubis.

Anubis mask

This is the step-by-step process of how mummification took place:

Insert a hook through a hole near the nose and pull out part of the brain

Make a cut on the left side of the body near the tummy

Remove all internal organs

Let the internal organs dry

Place the lungs, intestines, stomach and liver inside canopic jars

Place the heart back inside the body

Rinse inside of body with wine and spices

Cover the corpse with natron (salt) for 70 days

After 40 days stuff the body with linen or sand to give it a more human shape

After the 70 days wrap the body from head to toe in bandages

Place in a sarcophagus (a type of box like a coffin)

If the person had been a Pharaoh, he would be placed inside his special burial chamber with lots of treasure!